Almost half of all paramilitary casualties in Derry but none in eight months to February

That’s according to the latest security statistics for the period, February 1, 2021, to January 31, 2022, which show Derry is among the hotspots for shootings and paramilitary activity in the north.

“There were 14 casualties of paramilitary style shootings during the last 12 months, compared to 15 during previous 12 months.

“While just under half of these attacks (6) occurred in Derry City & Strabane, there have been no such incidents recorded in the District in the most recent eight months,” the bulletin states.

Derry/Strabane also recorded the joint highest number of shootings in general over the year. This is defined by the PSNI as ‘shots fired by terrorists, shots fired by the security forces, paramilitary style attacks involving shootings and shots heard (and later confirmed by other sources)’.

“Of the 25 shooting incidents in the last 12 months, the highest number occurred in Derry City and Strabane and Belfast (7 in each District),” the report states.

Derry recorded the largest number of arrests under the Terrorism Act with 48 (36%), increasing from 34 arrests in Derry in the previous 12 months. Nine of the 48 arrests under the Terrorism Act in Derry led to subsequent charges.

No bombing incidents were recorded in Derry in the last 12 months compared to 3 in the Derry & Strabane area the previous year.

With 36 paramilitary style assaults recorded across the north in the last 12 months, nothing was recorded in Derry.